Sometimes, I'll choose a story because it seems unusual; not AR's usual dish of tea. Most of the time, I schedule those for the December time frame. I did so this year. The stories don't always work, but we get fewer comments during that time and the comments that we do get are usually more cogent. I await the author's response with interest.

This reads like a christian/political hit piece. Stray from the path of righteuousness and humankind is doomed. We have gay love, incestial love, self love (auto erotica), racism, voyeurism, orgistic love. Once at the end of the path, the narrator becomes one with god because he didn't stray from the path.

What I got out of it, anyway.

This piece is nothing like Species, Lost in Apple-eating Time. "Species" verges on genius. Pure, unadulterated genius. "Spring" felt like an internet-forward-email-piece in comparison.

This reads like a christian/political hit piece. Stray from the path of righteuousness and humankind is doomed. We have gay love, incestial love, self love (auto erotica), racism, voyeurism, orgistic love. Once at the end of the path, the narrator becomes one with god because he didn't stray from the path.

I didn't get that from the story at all.

The ending I got was man putting God in a box exulting the machines.

The two stories mentioned are very different. The comparison I was making was to point out you could take either story many different ways.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it seemed no one got or understood any of it. lol. Or if they did, they didn't record much of what they took from the story on these posts.

Quote:

The ending I got was man putting God in a box exulting the machines.

From this line near the end, it seemes the box is god: "The machines gestured to the black bo at their side. In white letters was written the word God." and "Machines came, and eased him towards the Godbox. "Your burden is lessened," the machines said without emotion." You could alomost argue that the narrator was a jesus figure. ie, not allowing himself to be tempted from the path.

Quote:

The two stories mentioned are very different. The comparison I was making was to point out you could take either story many different ways.

Please don't read that the wrong way. I said what I did about the comparison of the two was was "Species" is such a GREAT story; which in no way denigrates this story's place here. "Species" felt psychedelic in its rendering; like reading or listening to Terrance McKenna. This story felt more like reading Earnest Hemingway. Unless someone absolutely hates Hemingway's style, I would call that being in good company.